Local CHaD football players primed for East win

Friday

Jun 27, 2014 at 2:00 AM

EXETER — Collin Richardson is used to winning football games.

STEVE CRAIG

EXETER — Collin Richardson is used to winning football games.

One of four senior captains at Exeter High School in 2013, Richards was part of state champion teams as a sophomore and junior, and helped lead the Blue Hawks back to the Division I semifinals this past fall.

The two-way lineman and future player at Bates College understands Saturday's CHaD East-West All-Star Football Game at St. Anslem College (1 p.m.) is first and foremost about raising money for the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

But Richardson also thinks it's time for the East to win one of these games. The West drilled an overmatched East team in the inaugural 2012 game and won last year, 13-7, in the first overtime at the University of New Hampshire.

"Coach has really been pushing that on us and we've all been pushing it on each other," Richardson said. "We know we have to start winning. The East we have to get their representation up. We need to try to get the win this year."

At Exeter, Richardson was a quad captain along with Zach Adler, Max Medley and Ryan Kelly. Now, he is one of three East captains, along with Pembroke linebacker/nose tackle Zach Wiggin and Dover middle linebacker Eric Waddington.

"You always kind of want to be the captain but probably half the team has already been a captain at their school so you don't really need captains because everyone knows what to do, everyone is disciplined," Richardson said. "It's definitely nice. It's a huge honor being chosen captain."

Richardson figures to be busy on Saturday. He's playing tackle and guard and is also the backup center on offense. Defensively, he's been working out at four different line positions.

Adler and Peter Lalime are expected to join him in the starting offensive line. In Wednesday afternoon's practice during a segment focused on prepping the defense, Exeter's Jay Inzenga (RB/CB), Kelly (LB/RB) and Medley (FS/TE) were each taking regular snaps

Haslam is expected to play a lot at linebacker. East head coach Tony Johnson indicated linebacker is a team strength.

Haslam said practices have shown him he's in for an increased level of competition. The Clippers played in Division III through 2012 and were in the revamped Division II last fall, losing the championship game to Plymouth in overtime, 21-14.

In that same vein, Haslam knew he would have to prove himself worthy of playing time.

"Oh definitely," he said. "I knew I would have to put myself out there a little more and give it all I had. It's the first time in my life the coach hasn't immediately known who I was when I went out there."

Winnacunnet is represented by Ryan Welch, who could play center, tight end or defensive end, and the wide receiver/cornerback combo of Clint Felch and Collin Witt. Felch is likely to get more time on defense while Witt indicated he'll be on the field both ways in passing situations.

Witt said during the second week of practice he's seen the team come together under the hand of Johnson, the former Bishop Guertin coach who is now at Worcester Academy.

"It's been fun to watch because you have players from all different teams and you have a coach who coaches at a prep school in Massachusetts," Witt said. "It's kind of like a giant melting pot and it all came together really well."

St. Thomas Aquinas punter/kicker Hayden Middleton is joined by his former teammate, Jake Geppert, a running back and cornerback. Epping-Newmarket's Jacob Valinski is working out primarily at linebacker.

Johnson has been hesitant to name his starting quarterback. On Wednesday at the end of practice, while Campbell's Christian McKenna and Gilford's Jack Anathos were running the scout team offense, Phanor and Dover's Derek Stegman were having a lengthy conversation with the coaching staff.

Phanor has been limited during the first eight practices by a leg injury that had him hobbling noticeably last Friday. Stegman ran a quick, short-passing spread attack at Dover while Johnson's primary offense is an option.

In contrast, the West has UNH recruit Trevor Knight of Nashua South who routinely blistered Division I defenses.

"We know how great he is so we're locking onto him," Haslam said.

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